Vatican City
The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the
world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael
Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

Austria
Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital
is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and
incredible history & food. Go Now!

Latvia
Latvia is small, but has a diverse history, foods, and architecture (shown), which
includes aspects from both Eastern and Western Europe. Begin Your
Journey!

Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Turkey

Geography

Pamukkale

Turkey is an odd shaped landmass that connects
Europe and Asia. The country is bordered by the Black
Sea to its north, the Mediterranean Sea to its south, and the Aegean Sea to its
west. There is debate whether or not Turkey should be considered a part of Europe
or Asia; many people consider the border between the two continents to be the Bosphorus
Straight, which divides the city of Istanbul and Turkey itself. By this definition,
on Turkey's European side, the country is connected to the Balkan Peninsula
and borders Greece (west) and Bulgaria
(north). The Asian side of Turkey then is primarily a peninsula jutting out from
the Middle East. This part of Turkey borders Syria (south),
Iraq (southeast), Iran (southeast), Armenia (east), and Georgia (northeast).

Geographically, Turkey is mostly at elevation, but only has
a few locations with substantial mountains. Turkey also has an incredibly long coastline.
The northern coast, along the Black Sea is home to a number of river deltas and
is fairly hospitable. The Aegean Sea coast is even more ideal as the land is at
a lower elevation and, with numerous bays, offers easy access to the sea. The country's
central region and far east are more mountainous and drier making the regions fairly
inhospitable.

Turkey's weather is best separated into two regions,
the coasts and inland. Turkey's interior is primarily mountainous and hence
temperatures sink much lower in the winters, while the coasts are fairly comfortable
year round.

Turkey's coasts (including Istanbul) have moderate winters
(averaging about 45-55˚ F (7-13˚ C) in the west and hotter on the southern coast)
and hot and humid summers (80-90˚ F (27-32˚ C) on the western coast and again hotter
in the south). It rarely rains along most of Turkey's coasts other than the
Black Sea and the far southwest, which gets a fair amount of rain as the country's
other coasts are relatively dry and sunny. Turkey's interior is fairly mountainous
and the peaks can be snow filled and roads impassable for much of the winter as
the valleys can be unbearably hot in the summers. Places like Cappadocia feel like
barren desert in the summer.

Wildlife

Aegean Sea

Turkey is home to a number of large mammals including wolves,
boar, bear, and deer among others, but rarely are any of these seen as they are
generally secluded in small isolated forested regions. More commonly seen, and domesticated,
are goats, camels, donkeys, and cattle, many of which are used for food or milk.
Being surrounded by water on most sides, Turkey is also home to a large number of
fish, both saltwater fish, such as sardines and mullets in the Black Sea and Mediterranean
Sea as well as freshwater fish found in the country's lakes and rivers.

There are also a number of birds that are commonly found in Turkey,
both migrating birds that pass through with the seasons as well as more sedentary
birds like quail and goose. There are also a large number of lizards in the country.